Improvement in rat-traps



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ISAAC M. WATSON, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

IM PROVEM ENT IN RAT-TRAPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,883, dated March 10,1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, l. M. WTATSON, of the city ot' Grand Rapids, andState of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRat-Traps; and I hereby declare that the following is a true and exactdescription ot' the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reierence marked thereon.

rIhe nature ot' my improvement consists in constructing a trap in such amanner as to baffle the well-known sagacity of the rat, and to imprisonhim when he is without suspicion or apprehension otl danger at themoment he treads upon the fatal trap-door; and also to allure others,who, seeing him safely housed in the compartment beneath, are renderedbold and fearless in their assaults upon the bait suspended above. Thus,by successful strategy, one ai'ter another is beguiled until theirprison-house is fully tenanted.

'lhe annexed drawings, Figure l exhibits an end elevation, and Fig. 2 aplan view, of my trap.

A A in Fig. 1 represent the top and bottom ot' the trap, made ot'suitable thickness ot' wood, and are united at the corners by pillars ofwood five-eighths of an inch square adapted in length as wellas inthickness to thespecies of vermin for which the trap may be designed, asI do not linut its use to rats and mice, but it may be made of suiicientsize to entrap weasels, foxes, and other predaeeous animals. 'Ihe topand bottom are connected by a wire grating, which is inserted about aquarter of an inch from their outer edge, and extends all around, withthe exception ot' a space left open at one end sufficiently wide toadmit of the egress ot' the captives within. This space is tilled by thedoor marked l), which is hinged 0.1 one side to a wire of the gratingand fastened on the opposite side by the clasp c.

4 b d represent the two guides, varying in height to suit the objectotthe trap, in every ease I), to which the hook bearing the bait isattached, being made higher than d. These guides are formed of plank ofsuitable thickness, set up on edge, and extend lengthwise 0E the trapsuiiiciently far apart to admit of a rats passing between them. Theinner sides ofthe guides tit close to theplatforms e c, and

the piatorlns extend an eighth ot'an inch over the opening in the topot' the trap, s0 as t0 form a rest to the trap-door when in position.The guide d extends over in the saine manner and for the same purpose.Between these two platforms the trap-door E is suspended on pivots,which are inserted at the ends on the side next to b. Midway of the twopivots tlte lever F is fastened to thetrap-door E at right angles withit, and passing through an opening in b large enough to admit of itsfree play. I'o the end of the lever, which extends a little beyond theouter edge of the trap, the nut g is secured, of sufficient weight todraw back the trap-door after the weight ot' the rat has thrown it froma horizontal position.

G is a thin metal spring fastened on the outside of b, and extending atan angle immediately above the lever F, and intended to react onthelever when suddenly thrown against it, and thus assist in bringingthe trap-door back to its proper place.

H is the hook, one end being inserted in the edge otl guide b and at itscenter, and the other or hooked end intended for holding` the bait. Theguide b extends to within an inch and three-quarters from each end ofthe trap, and d to within half au inch of the same.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

The reacting spring G, in combination with the guides b and d, operatedin the manner and for the purpose herein fully set forth and described.

I. M. WATSON.

In presence of E. G. D. HOLDEN, SrLAs DURHAr/r.

